Tension control for warp yarns



Oct. 16, 1951 T, L W|| g |5 E -l-AL 2,571,510

TENSION CONTROL FOR WARP YARNS Filed Aug. 16, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 16, 1951 T- 1 WlLLlS ErAL 2,571,510

TENSION CONTROL FOR WARP YRNS Filed Aug. 16, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENFORS: Tilo/w15 J h//LL/s,

Oct. 16, 1951 T. .1. WILLIS ETAL TENSION CONTROL FOR wARP YARNs 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 16, 1950 Oct. 16, 1951 T. .1. WILLIS ETAL TENSION CONTROL FOR WARP YARNS Filed Aug. 1e, 195o 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTQRSv 7504/4511 k/ML/s, 6l h//LL/AM A. .9M/1wA ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES TENSION CONTROL FOR WARP YARNS Thomas J .l Willis and William A. Smith, Greenwood, S. C.

Application August 16, 1950, Serial No. 179,657

-of the loomabove the whip roll and the xed pressure roll in its course to the lay and a vertically movable roll is provided which isA adapted to engage the upper Surfaces of the warp yarns between the whip roll and the iixed roll to Create tension thereon upon the loom being started, there being suitable rams for imparting movement to the movable pressure roll and operating connections betweenvthe rams and the shipper handle of the loom for moving the movable pressure roll into engagement with the warp yarns upon the loom being started. When the. loom is stopped, the pressure of the rams is releasedthus permitting the warp yarns to raise the movable pressure roll beneath which they pass so the warp yarns may be in a relaxed condition at times when the loom is not operating.

Som-e of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a loom with many of the parts being shown schematically and with other parts omitted and showing the improved warp yarn tension control means in association therewith;

Figure 2 is an elevation looking at the rear of the loom, substantially along the line 2-#2 in Figure l, with the central portion thereof being broken away for purposes of clarity;

Figure 3 is a top plan view showing the rear portion of the loom and looking down at the top of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged elevation with parts in section looking substantially along the line 4-4 in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical-sectional view taken along the line 5--5 in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevation of the lefthand upper portion of Figure 1 and showing the parts in a diierent position and many other parts being broken away for purposes of clarity;

Figure 7 is a schematic fragmentary plan view 4 Claims. (Cl. 139-115) 2 v with a part of the arch in section looking down along the line 'l-1 in Figure l;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary top plan view with a part of the loom frame in cross-section and looking down substantially along the line 8-8 in Figure l;

Figure 9 is a vertical-sectional view looking substantially along the line 9-9 in Figure 8;

Figure 10 is an elevation looking at'the lefthand side of Figure 8 showing the control valve for controlling the ow of compressed air to the rams associated with the yarn'tension applying means;

Figure 11 is a sectional plan view taken substantially along the line I l--I l in Figure 9, showing the control valve in inoperative position;

Figure 12 is a sectional plan view similar to Figure 11 -but showing the control valve in an operative position.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numerals I0 and- II indicate the right-hand and left-hand side frame members, respectively, of a loom which are joined together in the usual manner including a rear end girt I3, a breast beam I4, and an arch, only the vertical side portions I5 and I5' of which are Visible in the drawings.

Theloom includes a conventional warp or loom beam 20 which is mounted for rotation in conventional bearings 2I and 2|' suitably secured to the proximate faces of the loom side frame members I0 and II. A sheet of warp yarns Y extends upwardly from the warp beam 20 and passes over a conventional vibrating whipl roll 22 and then, after passing beneath rollswhich are a part of the present invention and which will be later described, the warp yarns extend forwardly and pass through a plurality of conventional harnesses 23 which are mounted in the usual manner, not shown, for up and down movement in the loom,

The warp yarns then extend forwardly and pass through a conventional reed 24 Vdisposed lbetween a reed cap 25 anda lay 26 which are supported on conventional swords 2l, there usually being two swords for. supporting the lay 26 but only one of which is shown in Figure 1. The swords 21 extend downwardly and are xedly mounted on a rocker shaft 30 oscillatably mounted at opposed ends thereof in the loom side frame members I 0 and I I. The warp yarns Y are beatup into a fabric. F and then this fabric is pulled over the conventional breast beam I4' and the fabric is taken up by a conventional take-up mechanism including a take-up Wheel ItI which is driven in a step-by-step manner by conventional means, not shown. A conventional holdback pawl 32 is associated with the particular type of take-up mechanism shown in Figure 1 and this pawl is pivotally connected intermediate its ends to a take-up pawl link 33 which extends upwardly at an angle and is pivotally connected to the upper end of another link 34.

This link 34 extends downwardly and rearwardly and is pivotally connected to the lower end of a shipper handle 35 oscillatably mounted intermediate its ends, as at 35, on the loom side frame member ID. The shipper handle extends upwardly from its pivot 36 and terminates a substantial distance above the upper surface of the breast beam I4 and is adapted to be grasped by y an operator for starting and stopping the loom. Each of the swords 21 has the front end of a pitman rod 31 pivotally connected thereto which extends rearwardly and is connected in the usual manner, not shown, to a conventional crank shaft 40, only one end of which is shown in Figure 1.

A conventional whip roll cam 4| is f ixedly mounted on the crank shaft 40 and is engaged by a cam follower 42 rotatably mounted on the front free end of a whip roll cam follower arrn 43. The whip roll cam follower arm 43 extends rearwardly and is iixedly mounted at its rear end on a shaft portion 44 of a conventional pivoted eccentric member 45. One end of the vibrating whip roll 22 is secured to the pivoted eccentric member 45, as by a screw 46, and the other end of the vibrating whip roll 22 is secured to a pivoted eccentric member 45 which is substantially identical to the eccentric member 45 except being opposite hand.

The pivoted eccentric members 45, 45 are oscillatably mounted in conventional whip roll arms 50 and 50', respectively, which extend forwardly and are xedly mounted on a conventional whip roll shaft 5| `(Figures 2 and 3). The whip roll shaft 5| extends from one side of the loom to the other, beyond the whip roll arms 50, 5D', and is oscillatably mounted in conventional whip roll shaft bearing brackets 52, 52' suitably secured, as by bolts 53, to the proximate surfaces of the loom side frame members I and respectively.

It will be observed in Figures 1, 2, Sland 6 that the whip roll shaft extends outwardly beyond the whip roll shaft bearing bracket 52 and has the upper end of a conventional whip roll lever 55 secured thereto in a conventional manner, the lower portion of which hasthe rear end of a conventional vibrator rod 56 pivotally connected thereto.

This vibrator rod extends forwardly and is pivotally connectedas at 51, to the upper end of a conventional vibrator arm, 51h (Figures 1 and 6). This vibrator rod 56 and the whip roll lever 55 are usual partsv of a loom of this type and the vibrator rod is merely described since it serves as an anchor for the lower end of a tension spring 60. The upper end of the tension spring 63 is connected intermediate the ends of a tension or pressure roll actuating arm 6 I, there being a similar tension roll actuating arm 6|' at the opposite side of the loom. These actuating arms 6|, 6|' and associated parts will be later described.

The parts heretofore described, except as noted, are usual parts of a loom and it is with these parts that the present invention is adapted to be associated. Since the parts of the right-hand side of the loom, in Figures 2 and 3, are substantially the same as the parts at the left-hand side of the loom, except being opposite hand, only the 4 parts at the right-hand side of the loom will be described and like parts associated with the lefthand side of the loom will bear the prime nota.- tion.

Suitably secured, as by screws 64, to the proximate surfaces of the whip roll shaft bearing brackets 52, 52' are respective warp tension unit support brackets 63, 63'. These brackets 63, 63 extend upwardly and support the reduced opposed ends of a fixed or second warp tension roll or bar 65 which is mounted for oscillation in the bearing stands or brackets 63, 63'. This shaft or second warp tension roll 65 has the front end of a pair of spaced movable warp tension roll arms 66, 66 xedly mounted thereon and extending upwardly and rearwardly therefrom, inthe rear free ends of which opposed ends of a first warp tension roll 61 are fixedly mounted. If so desired, the opposed ends of the first warp tension roll 61 may be rotatably mounted in the rear free ends of the arms 66, 66.

The lower ends of the pair of rearwardly and upwardly curved tension roll actuating arms 6| and 6| are secured to the outer ends of the second warp tension roll 65 as heretofore described. If so desired, the lower ends of the actuating arms 6l, 6| may be integral with the front ends of thc rearwardly extending tension roll 'support arms 65, 66 and may be oscillatably mounted in the respective brackets 63, 63. In this instance, the shaft or second tension roll 65 may be oscillatably mounted within the coinciding portions of the respective members 65, 6| and 66', 6| so that movement of the respective arms Bl, 6| need not, necessarily, be imparted to the first tension roll or tension roller 55.

The actuating arm 6| has an outwardly pro- -jecting spring anchor 10 which may be integral therewith or may be secured therein, as by a pressed t, and to which the upper end of the tension spring 60 is connected. The tension roll actuating arms 6|, 6|' curve upwardly and forwardly and are fixedly connected, through the medium of respective cuilr members 1| and 1| to the rear ends of respective piston rods 12 and 12'. The cuff member 1| is secured to the upper .ends of the actuating arm 6| by any suitable means such as a bolt 13.

It will be observed in Figure '7 that the'cuf VVmember is slidably penetrated by the reduced free endof the piston rod 12 and is secured thereon, by any suitable means such as a screw 14, the upper end of the actuating arm 6|' being secured to the rear end of the piston rod 12 in an identical manner to that in which theupper end of the actuating arm 6| is secured to the rear end of the piston rod 12 and like parts will bear the same reference characters with prime notation added.

The piston rods 1-2, 12 are mounted for substantially horizontally sliding movement in respective cylinder heads 15, 15 fixed on respective cylinders 16, 16. Referring to Figure '1, it will be observed that the cylinder 16, which is a part of a ram for actuating the tension roll 61 and which is identical to the cylinder 16', has a piston 11 which is mounted for longitudinal sliding movement in the cylinder 16. The base or bottom of the cylinder 15 is closed and has a lug 8|) integral therewith which extends forwardly and the lugs 80, are pivotally connected to the proximate surfaces of the vertically disposed portions 5, I5 of the arch heretofore described, as at 8| and 8| respectively.

It will be observed, in Figures 1, 2 and 3, that the upper ends of pipes 84, 84 are connected to the ends of the respective cylinders 16, 16 remote from the respective piston rods 12, 12 and these pipes 84, 84' extend downwardly and are connected to separate branches of a pipe T 85. A pipe 86 is connected to the end of the pipe T remote from the endto which the pipe 84 is connected and extends outwardly and upwardly therefrom and is suitably connected to the lower end of a control valve broadly designated at 81. This control valve 81 may be of any desired structure, provided that it may be operated through suitable connections by manipulation of the shipper handle 35, to control the flow of compressed air from a suitable source such as acompressed air tank 90, shown schematically in Figure 1, to the cylinders 16 and 16.

The control valve 81 is shown in detail in Figures 8 to l2, inclusive, and includes a tubular housing 9| preferably provided with a tapered 'inner surface for slidably and oscillatably receiving a tubular valve core 92. The valve housing 9| and the valve core 92 are provided with coinciding passageways or ports 93 and 94, respectively, for purposes to be presently described. It will be observed in Figures 9 and l0, that a pipe vfitting 95 is threadably connected to the lower end of the valve housing 9| and slidably penetrates the valve support bracket 66 which is suitably secured, as by a screw 91, to the loom side frame memberl. The pipe fitting 95 is secured in the bracket 96 by any suitable means such as a set screw (Figure 10).

The pipe 86 is suitably Connected to the pipe fitting 95 and thus communicates with the interior of the valve housing 9| and the valve core 92. The upper end of the valve housing is closed by a suitable valve stem |02, the lower end of which is secured, as by a pressed t, in the upper end of the tubular valve core 92 which extends upwardly and has one end of a valve control arm |03 suitably 'secured'theretd as by a screw |04. The outer or free end of the valve control arm |03 has the rear end of a connection rod or link |05 pivotally connected thereto as at |06.

This control link |05 extends forwardly, as is .clearly shown in Figure 1, and is pivotally connected intermediate the ends of the link 33 associated with the shipper handle 35. The valve housing 9| has an outwardly projecting portion |01 integral therewith which is provided with a passageway l l0 and to the free end of which a pipe III is connected by means' of a pipe elbow ||2. The pipe ||I is suitably connected to the compressed air tank 90.

Assuming the movable or tension roll 61 first lto be in substantially the position shown in Figure 6, it is thus seen that, upon moving the shipper handle from the dotted line to the solid line position shown in Figure l, the control link or connecting rod |05 will move from right to left in Figures 1 to 8 to thus move the valve core 92 in a clockwise direction or from the position shown in Figure 1l to the position shown in Figure 12. Thus, the passageway 93 in the valve core 92 will register with the passageway ||0 in the projection |01 of the valve housing 92, permitting compressed air to flow from the tank 90 through the pipe IH, through the valve core 92 and through the pipe 86 to the pipe 85 from whence it will flow through the pipes 84, 84' to the front ends of the cylinders 16, 16 and this will cause the piston rods 12, 12 to assume substantially the position shown in Figure 3.

It is evident that this will tend to move the ...6 actuating arms 6|, 6|' rearwardly at their upper ends to impart movement in a'counter-clockwise direction in Figure 1 to the second tension roll 65. This will, of course, cause the first or vertically movable tension roll 61 to move downwardly, in Figures 1, 2 and 4, in engagement with the warp yarns to thus create a normal amount of tension in the warp yarns in View of the proximity of the rst and second tension rolls 65'and 61 as well as the whip roll 22. This will take up any slack in the warp yarns and prevent the occurrence of set marks upon the initial beat-up 'strokes of the lay at the time of starting the loom.

Ori the other hand, immediately upon stoppingr the loom, that is, with movement of the shipper handle from the solid line to the dotted line'posi'- tion shown in Figure 1, the valve control arm |03 will be moved to ,assume the position shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10 with the result that the valve core 92 will assume the positionshown in 'Figure 11 to permit the compressed air from the cylinders 16, 16 to escape through the coinciding passageways 93, 94 in the respective valve core 92 and the valve housing 9|. The tension of the yarns will then be permitted to elevate the vertically movable or first tension roll 61 and this will relax the tension in the warpyarns at periods when the loom is not in operation. A 1

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed, they are used ina'generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

We claim: y l 1. An improvement in a warp tension apparatus for looms, lsaid loom having an oscillatable lay and having a cloth take-up means and also having a whip roll and warp yarns extending from the whip roll to the lay where they are formed into a fabric and the fabric being taken up by the cloth take-up means, said improvement comprising means for retaining normal tension in the warp yarns while the loom is in operation and means for relaxing the tension in the warp yarns while the loom is not in operation including a rst tension roll and a second tension roll extending transversely of the loom and disposed forwardly of the whip roll and beneath and over which the warp yarns are adapted to pass successively, the first tension roll extending in closely spaced parallel relation to the second tension roll and beneath which the warp yarns are adapted to pass in advance of the warp yarns passing over the second tension roll, at least `one actuating arm mounted on the second tension roll, means supporting the first tension roll for oscillation about the axis of the second .tension roll, a fixed connection between the actuating arm and the means supporting the first tension roll, spring means normally urging the first tension roll in a direction away from the warp yarns and means automatically operable upon starting the loom for moving .the first tension roll into engagement with the upper surfaces of the warp yarns for creating tension in the warp yarns.

2. In a loom having an oscillatable lay and also having cloth take-up means thereon and also having a whip roll and means for delivering warp yarns to the whip roll and the said warp yarns extending from the whip roll to the lay, an improved warp tension apparatus comprising a pair of tension unit supports carried by the loom and disposed forwardly of the whip roll, a pair of rearwardly extending arms, means pivotally supporting the front ends of said arms on the tension unit supports, a tension roll extending .transversely of the loom and mounted at opposed ends thereof in the rear ends of the said arms and beneath which the warp yarns are adapted to pass subsequent to their passing above .the whip roll, said tension roll being disposed in relatively closely spaced relation to the whip roll, spring means normally holding the tension roll in elevated position out of engagement with the warp yarns during periods in which the loom is not in operation for relaxing the tension in the warp yarns and means automatically operable upon starting the loom for moving the tension roll about the axis of the tension unit supports for exerting a normal tension on the warp yarns during periods of operation of the loom.

3. In a structure according to claim 2; said means for moving the tension roll about the axis of the tension unit supports and into engagement with the warp yarns comprising at least one actuating arm pivoted on the axis of said supports, a ilxed connection between the actuating arm and at least one of the rearwardly extending arms which support the tension roll, a ram connected to the end of said actuating arm remote from the tension unit supports, a source of compressed air, a control valve, a connection between the source of compressed air and the control valve and a second connection between the control valve and the ram, means automatically operable upon stopping the loom for closing the control valve to permit said spring means to move the tension roll to an elevated position and said means also being automatically operable upon starting the loom for opening said control valve to permit ingress of compressed air from the source tothe ram to where the ram will move the actuating arm and, consequently, the correspending rearwardly extending arms causing the tension roll to engage the upper surfaces of the warp yarns to exert pressure thereon.

4. In a loom having an oscillatable lay and also having cloth take-up means thereon and also having a whip roll and also having means for delivering warp yarns to the whip roll and said warp yarns extending a'bove the whip roll and to the lay, said loom also having a. shipper handle for stopping and starting the loom, and improved means for varying the tension in the warp yarns comprising a tension roll extending transversely of the loom and lbeneath which the warp yarns are adapted to pass subsequent to their passing above the whip roll, means on the loom for supporting the tension roll for oscillation about an axis spaced from and in parallel relation to the axis of the tension roll, said tension roll being disposed in relatively close relation to the whip roll, spring means normally holding the tension roll in elevated position out of engagement with the warp yarns during periods in which the shipper handle is in an "off position for relaxing the tension in .the warp yarns and means automatically operable upon moving the shipper handle to an on position and starting the loom for moving the tension roll about the axis disposed in spaced parallel relation to the tension roll to thereby exert a normal tension on the warp yarns during periods of operation of the loom.

THOMAS J. WILLIS. WILLIAM A. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,532,667 Baker Apr. 7, 1925 1,603,708 Northrop Oct. 19, 1926 1,628,815 Wakeeld May 17, 1927 

